'Tis the Season to Transform: Part 3

(A 'Potion Place' Story)

by grapehyacinth

“When's the food?” Ryan yelled, as he, Caroline, and a beet-red Barbara Wintergreen entered the living room.

“How about we play Mr. Wintergreen's game first?” suggested Lexi.

Carla piped up in a weak voice, “Will it transform us?” 

“You bet it will,” Lance said, casting a curious glance at his wife's red face. She smiled at him reassuringly, and he shrugged, commencing to outline the rules once more. “Everyone got it?”

“Yup.”

“Okay. Barbara and I will go first to show you.” He pulled out a vial without looking and slurped it up. “Down the hatch!” he announced.

His body lurched. “Here I go!”

“Enjoy it,” Barbara murmured.

He grasped his stomach, letting out a mixture of a giggle and a moan.

“See if you can guess what I'm becoming too!”

The others watched him shrink and curl into a ball. “Something round?”

His limbs and head were swallowed up into a nearly-spherical form and all of him grew brown and rough. “I feel mushy,” he said, shrinking further.

“What is he becoming?”

Carla just stared. “This is so amazing!”

“Oh! Oh! He's a...”

But Mr. Wintergreen grew still, and a face formed on his side. “Damn, I'm a potato,” he grumbled.

Barbara picked him up, dusting some fuzz off of his wrinkly surface. “Hmm... How can I use a potato for the holidays?”

“Potato soup?” Julian piped up.

“Christmas...Chanukah...New Year's...Kwanzaa...what other holidays...Oh, wait!  I have the perfect idea! Barbara gathered her husband up and ran into the kitchen. She tossed him onto the counter and rummaged through Gena's things.

“You have a peeler?”

Gena extracted one from the drawer.

“What are you doing with me?” The potato said nervously.

“You'll love it.” As Barbara set to peeling him, she dropped him several times. “Lance, stop moving!”

“Being peeled tickles!”

“Wait until what's next!”

Gena located a bowl and several other ingredients for her guest. Barbara grated the very happy potato until he was a pile of shavings, then she mixed him with the other ingredients. “Oh, Lance, you always become such tasty treats.”

She formed him into a big patty and placed him in a pan of oil.

“I got it! He's a potato pancake! You eat them on Chanukah!” Lexi cried excitedly.

“Yes, my husband is a latke.”

Mr. Wintergreen sizzled in the oil, filling the house with a wonderful smell. His wife flipped him several times, commenting, “Oh, you do fry up nicely, dear.”

When he was crisp and brown, she placed him on a plate and glanced at the clock. “He changes back in one minute, so if anyone wants a taste of him, hurry up.”

Everyone, including Lexi, broke off a piece.

“Oh, you're good, Mr. Wintergreen!” Lexi licked her lips.

“Glad to see you're indulging in me,” said the piece she held in her hand. “That tweaked Ultimate Potion helped?”

Lexi drew her voice to a whisper. “Yes. I'm okay with being food, now that you gave it to me. Knowing that I won't go further than anyone's digestive system makes me feel better.”

“Good to hear.”

Soon after, Lance Wintergreen stood before them, whole once again. “Ah, that was invigorating. Next up?”

“Us!” cried Caroline. She grabbed a violet vial and drank it down. “Oh, I hope I turn into something awesome! Does the change feel good?”

“Oh, trust me. It feels extra-special. Our holiday gift to you all.” Mr. Wintergreen winked.

“Oh, GOD!” Caroline shrieked as she shrunk. “How did you hold back, Mr. Wintergreen? It's...orgasmic!”

“It was hard to,” he chuckled.

Caroline was quickly transformed into a long stick, which hardened and toppled to the floor. Shuddering and shaking, she thickened and browned, her surface becoming bark-like. When she stopped quivering, she chirped, “That was amazing. I feel so damned great. What am I?”

Ryan studied her, a let-down expression on his face. “Um, a stick?”

“A stick? That's it?”

“Yeah...um...”

“That's okay, I really like this. I'm trapped, you know? Poor me, poor me, I'm just a little unusable piece of wood.” She shuddered. “I love the whole idea. You need to make a potion like this, Mr. Wintergreen. Like you're stuck in the form and you can't change back for a certain amount of time. I love the feeling of being a powerless object.”

“He's got plenty of those,” Barbara replied, her eyebrows raised.

“Sure do.”

Barbara clasped her hands together and looked up at the ceiling. “I was a macaroon once for five days.”

Lance laughed at the memory. “And I didn't even eat her. I wanted to, but she wanted to stay whole and simply enjoy it – like you are now, Caroline.”

Ryan, however, looked impatient. He picked his girlfriend up and twisted her around in his hands. “But what do you do with a stick on the holidays?”

Everyone was silent for a moment.

“How about–”

Mr. Wintergreen cut Carla off. “No help. It's up to Ryan and Caroline to figure it out.”

“Oh, it's so obvious,” Ryan smacked his hand against his forehead. He placed the stick in the fireplace and grew bright.

“What's he doing?” Max gaped at the changing man in awe.

Ryan was now a flame, which grew larger for effect, then diminished into a glow which enveloped the welcoming stick. “What are we, Ryan?” it purred delightedly.

“The Yule Log, of course!”

“Well, the Yule stick,” Jim tossed out.

“You hate the Yule Log, Ryan,” said the stick.

“I do. I think it's the stupidest thing ever. Do they still put it on TV?”

“I don't know.”

“Why would anyone watch a burning log on TV for hours? It's just...I always thought...”

“Sh, Ryan. Keep burning me. I'm charring and turning to ash. It's simply...amazing.”

Lexi couldn't help but screech as she grew square and hollow. She was shrinking, and Julian hovered over her in anticipation. “What am I becoming? I'm getting...cardboardy?”

When she grew still, Julian picked her up and examined her curiously. “You're a box,” he replied in a flat voice.

“I like it,” she replied.

“Oh, that's an easy one!” Caroline said.

“Quiet, Caroline,” Mr. Wintergreen warned her.

She giggled. “Or what?”

He rolled his eyes. “Or you get the 'Watering Can for a Week' potion.”

Caroline looked intrigued. “Really?”

“I think that would make her year,” Jim pointed out.

Meanwhile, Julian was shrinking down. His melted form was surrounding his girlfriend. “What are you doing, Julian?” Gena asked.

The shimmering liquid became a glossy red paper, and a bow sprouted on top, complete with Julian's face. “This was perfect for us. We're so good at covering each other.”

“Well, you're good at covering me,” came Lexi's voice from within the new present.

“Let's let the enveloping experts enjoy their ten minutes,” said Jim. He picked up the present and gave it some privacy.

“We'll go next, unless you guys...”

Carla, who had not closed her mouth through the whole game, only shook her head no.

Max grinned at her, amused. “She is so blown away by this. She doesn't want to miss a thing.”

“We'll go after you guys,” she finally pushed out. “I'm so excited, I don't think I can think straight.”

Gena smiled, picking up a brown vial. “You or me, Jim?”

“You want to?”

Cocking her head, she thought for a moment. “You know what? Yes.” And she drank.

Anyone could see that Gena, scientist that she was, was attempting to hold back her shouts. But as she felt herself curling into a ball, she let out an explosive yell. “Oh, God!” she rocked back and forth, growing smooth, white, and oval.

“She's an egg!” everyone yelled at once.

The egg shook, rolling across the floor on its side.

“You get back here. I know just what to do with you, my egg of a wife!”

Everyone followed Jim back into the kitchen, where, like Barbara, he began to combine his wife with several other ingredients. She now was a messy, gloppy concoction.

“Jim, what are you making me?” she giggled as he stirred and mixed her.

He picked up his spoon and sipped her. “Ah, you're perfect.” He placed the spoon on the counter. “Now the trick is to box you up.” He melted into an oily substance, which jumped into his wife's bowl and surrounded her liquid form. Then it began to rise and solidify, until a smiling carton stood in the bowl. “Gena Egg Nog,” read its label.

“Egg Nog's New Year's Eve,” pointed out Carla.

“So? It's still part of the holiday season!”

“Anyone want to indulge? Gena's the sweetest egg nog you'll ever taste,” the carton offered.

Lexi scrunched up her face. “I don't like egg nog.”

“Trust me. You'll love Gena.”

“Gena, you were so good,” Lexi murmured.

“I'm floored that you drank her,” Caroline admitted. “You're always so freaky with the food stuff.”

“She ate some of Mr. Wintergreen too,” Ryan reminded her. “Impressive.”

“Oh,” Gena said, her eyes twinkling. “The night's still young, my friends.”

“Our turn! Our turn!” cried Carla.

“Carla, you guys need to drink some Ultimate Potion first,” Gena called, as she bent over to light the fireplace.

“It's not that cold out, Gena,” said Julian.

“It's for holiday atmosphere,” she responded, as the logs began to blaze.

Carla glanced down at the potion vials. “Why do I need the other potion? I thought I just need to drink one of these colorful ones.”

Max handed her a wine glass filled with Ultimate Potion. “If you're not drinking those, you still might want to change.”

Barbara smiled. “And even if you do, having Ultimate Potion in you makes it a lot more fun. Trust me.”

The young couple each took a sip. “Oh, God. There's that feeling again. Like...like I have to change or I'm going to explode,” Carla gasped, her form rippling.

Max smiled. “Hang on a sec, Carla. Let's play the game.”

Carla was gripping her sides. “I...I can't stop myself...I...oooo!” All at once, Carla's whole body simply lost all features, coalescing into an upside-down teardrop shape. “I'm so big and...hollow...and light...oooo...”

“You turned into a balloon, Carla!” Max exclaimed, clapping his hands together in glee. “What's that like?”

“I feel...so nice...I want to be bigger...” She began to inflate herself further. An intense set of giggles sent her bobbing across the room as everyone watched with amusement. “I feel so light!”

“I love watching the wonderment of first-timers,” Mr. Wintergreen grinned, sitting back on the couch.

“Never gets old,” Barbara agreed.

“Well, she was a bird that one time,” Max pointed out, trying to cover the shuddering of his own body.

“I want to be bigger!” the balloon announced.

“Dear, make all of you bigger, otherwise you'll just pop,” Barbara warned.

“Pop, Carla!” Caroline called. “It's amazing!”

“How?”

“Keep pumping yourself up until you feel like you're going to burst. And you will!”

The balloon grew to epic proportions, filling most of the room. “Oh...oh...”

“Any moment now...”

“Oh, my God I can't believe I'm gonna...”

“Everyone down!”

Everyone ducked just in time as the balloon exploded. Shreds of the girl blew across the room, and the burst of her air knocked over two of Gena's lamps. Laughing, Gena and Lexi started collecting pieces of the balloon-girl.

“Pull yourself together, girl!” Ryan ordered in a falsely-stern voice.

A face appeared in a large piece that Gena held. “Do I have to? I've never felt like that, and being like this is amazing too! I'm all over, and I'm so thin, and...rubbery...”

Max took the piece from his aunt. “Now think about becoming yourself again so we can play. I'll even let you take the potion.”

The piece grew into Carla, who took a moment to get used to her human form. “That was so amazing, I think I'll let you get the chance to try the game potion. It sounds like it's just as awesome.”

“Max, you're turning orange.”

“I can see that.”

Max watched his arms disappear into his sides and his legs merge. Helplessly, he fell to the floor. God, this felt so incredible! He wanted to scream, but he was attempting to look strong in front of his elders. His body was still shrinking, and he could feel his whole form hardening. A moan escaped his lips, and a very large Carla was stroking him.

“Isn't it amazing? Doesn't it feel good?”

“Oh, God, Carla, stop. I feel like I'm going to explode too!” He kept thrashing back and forth, but as he stiffened, it was harder and harder to move. Soon he grew still, simply staring up at his friends from the floor.

What had he become? Something orange, long, and hard? He assumed Mr. Wintergreen didn't have any overly sexual transformation potions in that box. The whole experience had been wonderful, but the fact that he was stuck in this form worried him slightly. He wasn't sure Carla would feel the same way, but he didn't want to chance it. He didn't want to turn her off to transforming.

Carla picked him up and stared down at him, laughing. “He's a carrot!” she squealed. “Max turned into a carrot. What's it like, Max?”

“Who is Max? I'm a top-of-the line, melt-in-your-mouth, fresh, organic vegetable!”

“Max! I love you like this! Can I try you?”

“Carla, don't eat him! You need to do a holiday thing with him!” Caroline cried.

“With a carrot? What do I do with a carrot?”

“Carla!”

“What, Max?”

The carrot whispered something.

“I can't hear you like that!” She held the vegetable up to her ear. “Oh! Yes! Totally!” she shrieked. “Outside?” Her eyes gleamed. “In here? She'll kill me!”

Gena raised an eyebrow. “Who'll kill who?”

“Fine, if you think it's harmless. How do I do it?” She listened for a moment. “Just think it all at myself? Okay.”

Carla sought a spot out in front of the crackling fireplace. Taking a deep breath, she gripped the carrot in her hand, which was changing.

She groaned as her body began to shimmer and transform. Her pallid skin lost more and more color until it was perfectly white. She looked down to watch her legs meld together and begin to expand.

“She's getting sparkly,” Lexi pointed out.

“Her tummy's getting round!” shouted Caroline, clapping her hands together in excitement.

“So's her head and what was her legs,” noted Jim.

Carla could not stop giggling as she changed. Her arms and fingers grew thin and wooden, and her body had shaped into three snowballs, one piled on top of the other.

“She's a snowman!” exclaimed Julian.

Carla shook back and forth dangerously as her changes concluded. Her eyes blackened and shrank into two small stones. Her lips became two strips of red yarn.

“All I need is a nose!” The snowman still gripped Max the carrot in its wooden fingers, and jammed the vegetable right into the middle of its face. “Thank you, Max, for completing me!”

“Didn't that hurt?” the carrot asked the snowman.

“No, you felt amazing going in.”

“Now, now, boys and girls, let's remain PG-13-rated, shall we?” Mr. Wintergreen interrupted in a sly tone.

“If that comment bothered you, you're lucky you came late, Mr. Wintergreen,” Jim uttered so only Lance could hear. “You're lucky you didn't see the 'Hour of Love'.”

“Ah, Jim,” Lance tapped the scientist on the back. “I've used the 'Month of Love'. I don't recommend it when you have a job, though.”

“Carla, why'd you change in front of the fireplace?”

The snowman giggled. She could feel herself beginning to melt, and part of her was aggregating on the floor as a puddle already. She pointed down at this. “That's why.”

Caroline smiled. “Oh, dear, you really belong with us. We love being puddles.”

“Really? I mean, this feels so good. The fire's warming me, and I feel more and more of myself falling to the floor, getting all liquidy...”

“Oh, there's so much to do as a puddle. Finish melting, and then we'll show you.”

“They're puddle experts,” Jim added with a smirk.

Carla was blissful. More and more of her was just a delightful mass of water, rippling around when she felt the urge to move... Max was right. There was an infinite amount of things to be. As fun as being a bird was, why stop there?

Suddenly her placid thoughts were interrupted by something large splashing into her. She was splattered across the room, on the rug, across the walls...

“Sorry, Carla. I turned back.”

Max had changed back and fallen into her, but this only made things more interesting. She was being absorbed into the rug, which was nice and soft. She was dripping down the wall, which felt like a ride at the fair. And some of her was rising to the ceiling...

“I think I'm evaporating!” she squeaked. “What do I do?”

“You are! Let all of yourself evaporate! You can be a cloud!”

Carla drew every part of her scattered form up in the air, and held herself there.

Staring at the bobbing water vapor above, Caroline clapped her hands in approval. “Fun, huh? We do it all the time. When you're done being a cloud, you can turn into rain!”

The cloud bounced happily against the ceiling. “Okay!”

Max allowed his girlfriend to remain in her gaseous state for the moment. He walked into the kitchen, where Gena and Lexi conversed near the counter. “Need help with the food, Aunt Gena?”

“Not at all. Lexi, you ready?”

When Lexi nodded, Gena called the other guests into the kitchen. “Dinner time!” she announced. She pulled a bottle from the pantry and handed it to a bright-eyed Lexi. The girl positioned herself near the kitchen table and proceeded to drink as everyone watched. “Oh, oh...here I go!”

Lexi exploded into a mass of colors which seemed to position themselves on every surface of the room. When the blur cleared, the kitchen was covered with trays of every kind of food.

“Enjoy me!” cried a particularly impressive side of beef. “I'm every part of the holiday meal!”

“I thought you hated being eaten,” Caroline said to the veggies, turkey, gravy, and stuffing in her plate.

“Julian and I were working on it. You know that,” the stuffing said. “And I love the way it feels. I just hate what happens after being digested. So Mr. Wintergreen's new potion turns me back after that.”

“Cool. You really turn into great food,” Caroline swallowed her friend, then rubbed her stomach contentedly.

As Lexi joined them in eating the real cake that Gena had baked, Max stood up. “This was so awesome. Thanks for letting us join you all.  It was one of the coolest nights of my life.” It was quite late, and they had a flight home two days after. “I know you guys did all stuff to help Gena's town, and I did want to do something for it too. So I had an idea. Come with me.”

“Yes, every year they have a huge holiday display here in town square. A Christmas tree, a menorah, but obviously not this year. But for one night, we'll be it!”

Gena and Jim chose to change first. They embraced, and their torsos and legs melded together into a strong trunk. Their feet burrowed into the earth as roots, and their arms shot into the sky as branches. They sprouted pine needles and grew still.

“Are we a decent tree?” came Jim's voice from the bark.

“Beautiful specimen!” Mr. Wintergreen said in approval.

“I know you guys pride yourselves on being atheists, but you don't mind being a Christmas tree?” Ryan asked.

“We're a tree. You want to chuck lights on us? Doesn't make a difference to me,” said the tree with Gena's voice this time.

“We're next!” cried Lexi, throwing herself over Julian. Their torsos and legs fused just as Gena and Jim's had, but their feet formed a sturdy base, and they began to harden into metal. Their inner arms fused to their bodies, but their outer arm stretched out on either side, and four pole-like sticks grew upwards from each. What had been their head was another 'stick' which, like the others, now sprouted a light bulb. “We're a menorah! For Chanukah!”

“Plug us in!” Julian demanded.

“Plug yourselves in! We're changing!”

Carla and Max revisited their snowman transformation, however this time they merged as one. The young couple was quite floored by the melding experience, and the snowman kept erupting with gibberish as the two fought to take charge of their form.

Caroline and Ryan thinned into another enormous string of lights that started off snaked around the Gena/Jim tree, then continued to adorn the whole square.

The Wintergreens watched happily. Barbara turned to Lance. “Shall we join them?”

“We shall.”

They became one, then melted to the ground, now merely a pile of snow. The pile rumbled and began to expand, growing wider and wider until the whole square was bathed in a thick layer of snow that did not melt despite the warmer temperatures.

“I can't wait until they walk on us,” it murmured.

The next morning, the town of San Lucia was aghast at the display. The children romped in the snow, and scientists from Gena and Jim's lab were called in to test its astounding non-melting property. It seemed real enough...

And the lights came on as the day waned, and no one knew just how. There were several conjectures as to who had created the display, but only the five couples that had become it knew the real secret.

“I like being a holiday display,” murmured Caroline as she twinkled merrily.

“Same time next year?” Gena asked.

“You got yourself a deal,” Ryan replied.